BaL 29.12.18 - Rachmaninov: Piano Concerto no. 2 in C minor Op. 18

[Beef Oven!]

Stress on the first syllable. He was Hungarian by birth, after all. Actually, I seem to recall he came to accept the Americanized stress misplacement.

I've been pronouncing it in American! I think that's because I've always heard it on the radio pronounced that way. Otherwise, my instinct would be to pronounce it like Medici.

[Bryn]

I've been pronouncing it in American! I think that's because I've always heard it on the radio pronounced that way. Otherwise, my instinct would be to pronounce it like Medici.

How many non-Italian-speakers get that one wrong?

[gradus]

Odd how personal prejudice (aka taste) gets in the way of appreciating an artist. A few years back I went to an Andsnes Chopin recital which I thought the worst I'd ever attended and ever since I can't warm to his playing. My loss I fear.

[ardcarp]

I valued this BAL for her sweep of the history of changing performing practices. She was highly authoritative in her understanding of the piece (IMHO) and very sensibly...given the vast body of stuff to sift through....gave herself a limited range to choose from, i.e. recordings from the past 20 years. Two things struck me, (i) that she chose a 'live' recording as the winner, and (ii) Lang Lang was in her final cut, which, notwithstanding views of many forumistas, was a Good Thing.

PS So Joyce Hatto really could play the piano!

[Beef Oven!]

PS So Joyce Hatto really could play the piano!

Many different ones, apparently.

[Pianorak]

I thought I heard her mention Hélène Grimaud, but couldn't quite make out the name. It was just before Benno Moiseiwitsch.

No need for more, got all the front runners and more.

[Barbirollians]

A good BAL, I thought, although rather biased towards the younger players. I was pleased to see that Lugansky had a honourable mention as I already have it. And I thought she was spot on about what was right about Lugansky, and what was 'wrong'. Such beauty in the slow movement, such a headlong rush in the third movement. I thought she illustrated well how the last movement needn't be so headlong with Andsnes. And the BPO were sounding magnificent! But I thought she shouldn't have limited herself to the last twenty years. If she prefers (say) Rachmaninov & Richter to the modern boys she should say so! I'm tempted by both, they sounded really exciting in the clips. I also thought Richter's orchestral sound wasn't that bad, not as muddy as she suggested, though Rachmaninov's did sound rather thin & muddy.

Don’t hesitate to get them both !

[Barbirollians]

He got three; two as pianist, one as conductor.

That must have been when I was answering the door !

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

That must have been when I was answering the door !

Admittedly, they weren't exactly exhaustive; the first was about a sentence long, the "conductor" reference just to mention that that was his role, and the third amongst a list of names towards the final summing up.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

I thought I heard her mention Hélène Grimaud, but couldn't quite make out the name.

Yes - and illustrated (I thought it much more impressive than MF-W did).

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

PS So Joyce Hatto really could play the piano!

Yes - and quite well if the few legitimate recordings are typical.

As, of course, could all the pianists whose recordings were nicked in the fraud - and which had previously been lukewarmly received by many of the same critics who praised them highly under the "Hatto" releases.

[BBMmk2]

Thank heavens Lang Lang wasn’t chosen! I was having an awful feeling!

[Bryn]

Many different ones, apparently.

Her own recordings, from before she became incapacitated, were generally very fine, hence reviewers' being so easily fooled by the later fakes. Prior to and during the early stages of her cancer, she got gowing reviews of her public performances. Barrington-Coupe had a pretty good ear and chose the recordings he manipulated to represent her with some care, not only to approach her style but to avoid the best known pianist, in general. Some of those whose recordings he plundered deserve to be rather better known than they are. Paul Kim's Messiaen recordings being a case in point.

[LeMartinPecheur]

Some of those whose recordings he plundered deserve to be rather better than they are. Paul Kim's Messiaen recordings being a case in point.

Think this needs a small edit Bryn!

[Bryn]

Think this needs a small edit Bryn!

Indeed. Now done.